What's the line between "Enthusiastic fan" and "Stalker"?- Page 5

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 11:44am

In honor of Cheyenne's stalker who stole the poster from the Palace.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 11:47am

Seriously, guys. I haven't even stolen life-size cutouts of Adam. What is this?!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:13pm

I actually had a Broadway performer make me feel uncomfortable. We became friends through a mutual friend, and I told him I wanted to be friends only, but not only did he continue to play with my hair and cuddle up to me whenever we met up, but he called me a lot asking me to go out with him and fellow cast members. After awhile I got creeped out and I no longer talk to him. Since then I understand boundaries better and when I do interact with a performer I always try to act respectful and down-to-earth. Since I'm also a singer/actor, I generally ask people about their techniques and perhaps where they studied.
Updated On: 7/1/05 at 12:13 PM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:17pm

Well that's a switch!

[beacon1]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:26pm

So...when "Barefoot in the Park" opens I should keep my hands off the advertizing displays????

*crosses off entry in tattered notebook*

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:32pm

Probably, beacon. I'd imagine they're going to start attaching security devices to those things so they can track them digitally.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:09pm

Heh,

If you get a Broadway star's (okay...off-Broadway star's) number and they leave you messages on your machine...does that cancel out any creepy thing you may have done in the past as an "enthusiastic fan", because you bridged that gap into being friends?

Akiva
Updated On: 7/1/05 at 01:09 PM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:11pm

We'll think about that and get back to you.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:19pm

It depends on the kind of messages they are leaving you.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:42pm

You are a stalker in my book if you:

Claim to be friends with them when you met them once or twice or even three times at the stage door (you get the idea)

When you quote their vacation schedule on BroadwayWorld.com

[Sluggy]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:46pm

I realize he's talking about the performer contacting him, but Wanabe has me thinking - once the performer thinks you've crossed that line, is there a way to go back? Seems to me like any "I'm not a stalker - REALLY!" efforts would just make you seem like more of one, you know?

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:49pm

Hah,

The funny thing is I only met this person three times and I was very nice and quiet when they had fans screaming them, but we got into a really good conversation, and exchanged emails and evetually phone numbers. I don't think I was being stalker-ish, it just happened. I'm not saying we are close or anything, but friendly.

Akiva
Updated On: 7/1/05 at 01:49 PM

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:52pm

I got tired so I didn't read all of the posts so someone might have said this already.
Living in NY you know where celebrities live, and where you see them. How some people get their actual address, apartment #, etc. I don't know.
I think its weird too...
-give fan art, gifts etc.
-follow them (thats a given)
-approach them while at a restaurant eating
-buy everything you can get on them (eyelashes definitely included lol)
there are more, but I can't think of any at the moment.

I don't think its weird when you're favorite actor/actress knows your name because when you meet them, you usually introduce yourself. Well, maybe not stagedoor meetings, but when you meet them at other venues, you should introduce yourself, at least your first name.

And I agree with everyone who said that you HAVE TO KNOW YOUR LIMITS!!! It gets weird. I've had several conversations with actors after shows about how its weird when people see shows like 200 times. If you want to see a show that many times go ahead, its just weird to wait afterwards at the stagedoor, EVERY time. That becomes a little stalkerish.

[Sluggy]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 1:54pm

Does anyone think some of these people are over the line? I wondered when I read the hard copy.

http://www.playbill.com/features/article/93924.html

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:08pm

ENTHUSIASTIC FAN: You go to the stage door or write a nice letter to tell the performer how much you enjoyed their performance or enjoy their work.

STALKER: You screw around with the crew or someone not actually IN the show, just so you can get backstage.

Updated On: 7/9/05 at 02:08 PM

[stagebeauty]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:11pm

Fan: wants to be the performer's true love

Stalker: REALLY believes theyre the performer's true love

[ChiChi]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:23pm

"Fan: Collects autographs

Stalker: Collects DNA"

I don't know why, but this really cracked me up.

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:26pm

I wrote a letter to Barrett Foa way back in January after I saw Q. Bought tickets to see Q in June. Saw Q in June. Wrote a follow up letter since he wasn't at the stage door. He wrote back! I had most of the cast sign new orange converse I bought, so I sent the shoelaces in the mail lol to him, and I got sent back a letter, the shoelaces signed, signed playbill and signed picture that was from my January letter :). Just got it yesterday :)

I thought sending a follow up letter might weird him out..But I'm really just an enthusiastic fan! :)

Updated On: 7/8/05 at 02:26 PM

[ChiChi]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:28pm

Fan: You ask for autographs, and generally want to see everything they do professionally.

Stalker: You LEGALLY change your name to "MrMarkCharlieBrownCohen"

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:29pm

ChiChi, I'm still laughing!

[AndiV]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 2:42pm

what i think is ironic is when people don't think they are "stalkers" (let's call them the non-stalker) but backstage people are warning the performner (actor, recording artist...whoever) that the "non-stalker" is there that night and security measures are heightened. that happens more than you would know--at least in the recording industry world. and the performer would most likely be nice to the "non-stalker" too, if the face to face occured.

i also think that in some cases, people are born with that tendancy...or have been raised in a way that inhibits or disallows the understanding of what is socially acceptable.

[morebroadwayplease]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 4:56pm

Enthusiastic Fan -- Goes to see the person in shows and in concerts, has a poster of them, tries to meet them, etc.

Stalker -- Tries to meet the person and follows them around, tries to see them wherever they are whenever they can (meaning if they were in Starbucks right now and they heard, they would get in their car and drive over just to see them) someone who's OBSESSED and has millions of posters and pics, etc.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 5:02pm

Enthusiatic fan waits at the stage door and talks to them, at the theatre or emails, regularly.

Stalker follows them on the subway, hahaha matt morrison had a stalker...poor guy.

[cindy013]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 5:58pm

I agree with what someone said earlier about the way you're brought up to have something to do with it too. If you're brought up in a family that tends to be like "Ohh Celebrities are GOD!", then of course whenever you see one you're going to freak out or something. I also would hate to be at a stage door when said people see that certain performer they've been waiting for. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
As far as stage door stuff goes though, I don't really think presents are a problem as long as it's your first time at the stage door and giving them one, and it's something not too extravagant like a card or a picture or something like a green scarf for Wicked. NORMAL gifts. Not a picture of you with the actor's face superimposed in a tux. That's a no-no.

And as far as going to the stage door when you haven't seen the show that night- IMO that's ok as long as you don't do it more than once or maybe twice. I saw the Wicked tour in Toronto and never got to go to the stage door to meet Stephanie J. Block who was FABULOUS, so therefore if I happened to be in another city where the tour was I don't think it'd be creepy if i went to the stage door after, explained how I saw it in Toronto and couldn't go to the stage door there, but asked her for an autograph and picture. I think that would only be considered stalker-ish if I purposely drove to a certain tour city just to go to the stage door, and went more than once. But that creeps me out just thinking that someone might do that. *shudder* I guess it's like some people just have no shame or something, and don't realize the performer they're talking to could be insanely creeped out.

Ok, one more of these comparisons because i think they're fun.

Fan- You develop your stage door picture and you're both smiling and looking happy. Aww.
Stalker- You develop your stage door PICTURES and you're smiling and hugging them, they're looking serious/frightened, and you frolic over to the shrine on your wall of other pictures of them you printed out online to add this new one without even noticing the look of terror on their face.
Aw, poor broadway stars

Updated On: 7/8/05 at 05:58 PM